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Empowering the Self-Care Emergence We speak to GSK Ireland Country Manager Dave Barrett about the increased awareness of self-care and the role GSK plays in empowering consumers Dave Barrett, Country Manager, GSK Ireland
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider,” and add in subsequent publications that “self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems perspective and for people who use these interventions.”
“I am proud of my history with GSK, and was delighted to be asked to return home to manage the divestment of our drinks business and re-establish GSK as a leading consumer healthcare provider,” he says.
There has never been a time of greater awareness as to the importance of effective self-care than now. As Covid-19 moved from outbreak to epidemic and subsequently, pandemic, it has brought with it an immediate need for a health system transformation whereby less dependency on healthcare professionals is key.
Dave is now Country Manager for GSK’s Consumer Healthcare business, overseeing the company’s evolution through multiple changes including joint ventures and many successful new product launches, such as Voltarol 2% Gel and Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum.
With community pharmacists and allied professionals such as GPs face unprecedented pressure, empowering consumers to selfcare where appropriate is vital. Industry, of course, will have to adapt to this shift. GSK are already steps ahead of the game, synonymous for their work within this area. We recently caught up with Country Manager Dave Barrett to dig a little deeper into how they are supporting pharmacy and consumers within the self-care arena.
“Since back in Ireland, I have had the pleasure of Chairing the IPHA Consumer Healthcare division for almost four years, during which time we worked closely with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) to really amplify the importance of self-care to our consumers and patients.”
He continues, “At GSK, we have a very structured approach to running our business, but despite this, every day genuinely feels different. Our business is commercially focused, and I lead a team of passionate, dedicated professionals, who I let get on with their roles as much as possible.
Overseeing Evolution
“From my own perspective, I always prioritise customer and consumer focused actions, with as many customer meetings as possible while continuously reviewing our consumer execution plans.”
Dave Barrett has been a part of the GSK family for just over 30 years, having moved through the sales function from Territory Representative, Business Unit management in Ireland and Sales Director in their UK business for the Pharmacy and Field teams.
Reflecting on the last twelve months, Brexit preparations were on the agenda of all pharmaceutical companies, not just in Ireland but across Europe. Despite the arrival of Covid-19 diverting this focus, the challenges remain.
“At GSK, we recognise the essential role that pharmacists and pharmacy teams play in the healthcare system and we’re committed to supporting them through industry leading category training and innovative product launches" PHARMACYNEWSIRELAND.COM